1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a method and apparatus for managing a product distribution, and more particularly, to a method and apparatus for managing a product distribution using a security tag.
2. Description of the Related Art
Generally, a product distribution may be readily managed using a Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) tag.
Hereinafter, a method of managing the product distribution using the RFID tag will be described.
FIG. 1 illustrates a process of writing product information in a tag in a product distribution management apparatus according to a conventional art, and FIG. 2 illustrates a process of reading product information from a tag according in a product distribution management apparatus to the conventional art.
Referring to FIG. 1, the product distribution management apparatus may include an RFID manager 101, a product data server 103, a passive reader 105, and an RFID tag 107.
When a product registration request for a product is received, the RFID manager 101 may assign, to the product, a unique item identifier (UII) corresponding to a serial number of the product, and transfer the UII to the passive reader 105. Also, the RFID reader 101 may transfer the UII and product information associated with the product to the product data server 103.
Here, the passive reader 105 may be a “writing” reader and may write the received UII in the RFID tag 107. The RFID tag 107 with the written UII may be attached to the product.
Referring to FIG. 2, the product distribution management apparatus may include a passive reader 201, an Operation Data Store (ODS) proxy server 203, a product data server 205, and an RFID tag 207.
Here, the passive reader 201 may be a “reading” reader. When a product is stored, the passive reader 201 may read an UII from the RFID tag 207 attached to the product.
When a request for a product data server address managing product information associated with the product corresponding to the UII is received from the passive reader 201, the ODS proxy server 203 may transfer the product data server address to the passive reader 201.
When a request for product information associated with the product corresponding to the UII is received from the passive reader 201, the product data server 205 may transfer the product information to the passive reader 201.
In the conventional art, when a product distribution management apparatus does not function to perform security and authentication for an RFID tag, an UII of the RFID tag may be duplicated and be attached to an unauthenticated product during a distribution process. Specifically, although a passive RFID tag used for an existing product management includes a security mechanism function using an access password, the access password may be easily analyzed and thus the RFID tag may be duplicated.
Accordingly, there is a need for a method and apparatus for managing a product distribution that may prevent a duplicate to safely manage products.